RALEIGH, N.C. _ The calendar year of 2019 was a very good one for the Carolina Hurricanes, filled with victories.
As for 2020 ...
After beginning the new year with two losses, both at home, the Canes badly wanted to beat the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday at PNC Arena. It took overtime, but the Canes won, 5-4, on Dougie Hamilton's goal at 1:56 of the extra period.
Warren Foegele, playing another rough-and-tumble game, had a goal and assist for the Canes (25-16-2). Lucas Wallmark also scored and the Canes got goals from defenseman Jake Gardiner and Joel Edmundson.
Hurricanes goalie James Reimer, shaking off a horrendous start, earned his first win at PNC Arena.
The Flyers (22-15-6), who trailed 4-2 in the second period, tied the score 4-4 in the third on Travis Sanheim's goal at 15:49.
It was game that was more sloppy than smooth, with awry passes and errant bounces, soft goals and near-misses. It was edgy and chippy at times _ the Canes' Andrei Svechnikov and the Flyers' Travis Konecny had a series of run-ins and collisions.
The game had the worst possible start for the Canes and Reimer, who was making his first home start since Nov. 2 after 10 straight road games.
In 37 seconds, the Flyers had a 1-0 lead. Konecny's shot from the right circle got through Reimer, a soft goal that had Canes fans groaning.
When the Flyers then converted a Canes turnover into a second score, by Michael Raffl, it was 2-0 and more groans heard.
But the Canes' response was a strong one as Carolina tied the score 2-2 by the end of the period and then surged to a 4-2 lead in the second.
Wallmark followed up a Brock McGinn shot for the Canes' first score, banging the rebounds past goalie Brian Elliott, and Foegele took a perfectly placed cross-ice pass from Jordan Staal to tie it 2-2.
The Canes killed off an Erik Haula penalty to begin the second, then took the lead with a pair of goals from defensemen. Gardiner scored off on a bullet of a shot from the left wing off a Sebastian Aho pass, and Edmundson blasted a shot from the point.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel pulled the Flyers within 4-3 in the second after another Canes turnover in their zone, beating Reimer.
The Flyers had a near-miss with 14:53 left in the third. Reimer appeared to stop a Flyers shot and the whistle blew, although the puck trickled through him and across the line.
The game was stopped for a review and the ruling was no-goal. The Canes maintained the lead until Sanheim scored.
Svechnikov was denied on a breakaway in the first period, Eliott not fooled by a between-the-legs shot. In the second, Svechnikov was set by a Foegele pass off the rush but was wide with his shot.
